FAQ: No access to Windows operating system after shell replacement

Description

Usually, SiteKiosk disables shell replacement if you select “Log off user (disable start settings)” or “Exit SiteKiosk” in the Exit dialog box, which appears after you enter the configured key combination and the correct password.

Unless you activated the keyboard lock of SiteKiosk, you can also press and hold the SHIFT key during boot-up. Autologon will then not be executed.

Should you still have problems, there are several other ways to re-gain access to your system.


If the SiteKiosk terminal is registered to SiteRemote (https://www.siteremote.net) you can sent a job to close SiteKiosk and logout the Windows user.
-->Jobs-->New Job-->Action Type: Windows Command-->Logoff

Otherwise:
Case 1: You forgot the keyboard combination to exit SiteKiosk
You can leave or exit SiteKiosk without knowing the corresponding keyboard combination.
Simply enter 'skcmd://quit' into the URL address bar of SiteKiosk




Case 2: You forgot your password to exit SiteKiosk
Should you have forgotten your configuration password, you will still be able to use your general password to exit SiteKiosk.
You will find your general password, for example, on your SiteKiosk invoice or in the e-mail that was sent to you and contains your registration information.
Your general password is composed of the first eleven letters/numbers (including the dash) of your registration code. This will ensure that the general password will only work with your version of SiteKiosk.




Case 3: You can no longer use the keyboard on the windows logon screen.
In this case, you will have to disable the SiteKiosk keyboard lock using the emergency key combinations.

To do so, press these standard keyboard combinations:
1st key combination
Ctrl left + Shift right + Backspace
2nd key combination
Alt + Shift right + Delete
Pressing these two keyboard combinations one at a time will disable the keyboard lock and allow you to use your keyboard again.
Make sure to press the keys of each combination simultaneously.

Afterwards, you will be able to use the keyboard again to log on to the system.

For more information, refer to the FAQ entry "Disabling the keyboard lock".
https://www.provisio.com/en-GB/CustomerSupportCenter/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArticleID=322

If this still does not solve your problem, try pressing the key combination CTRL + ALT + DEL twice.
If you see the classic Windows logon screen afterwards, this is not due to the SiteKiosk keyboard lock, but a problem caused by WindowsXP which may occur on several computers.
(MS Discussion Groups - Login: unable to type password at welcome screen:
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/en-us/default.aspx?&query=Login%3a+unable+to+type+password+at+welcome+screen+&lang=en&cr=&guid=&sloc=en-us&dg=microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter&p=1&tid=096cf792-a11e-42af-91b0-bd5ca1c6042e&mid=8dfa5fb3-a6cc-45aa-a0b0-fc7e4439ebcf)




Case 4: You always end up on a SiteKiosk desktop with no icons
Use the emergency key combinations to disable the keyboard lock and open the Task Manager by pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL.
Now, sign off from your SiteKiosk user account and sign back on as an administrator.

If this problem occurs immediately after you made a change to your computer, you can try and load the last working Windows system configuration.
Just turn on the computer and press F8 while Windows is starting up.
Use the arrow keys to select 'Last working configuration', and press ENTER.





If none of these steps worked.
Editing the Windows Registry is now your last resort.

WINDOWS 2000 and higher
To disable automatic logon to Windows, set the following Windows Registry value from 1 to 0.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AutoAdminLogon

Continue by rebooting the machine, unlock the keyboard lock on the Windows logon screen (see Case 3), and log on as an administrator.


If shell replacement was enabled for all users or if you use a SiteKiosk version older than 6.5, you will also have to alter the following Registry value:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Here, you will find the entry SHELL.
Please delete the SiteKiosk entry and replace it with 'explorer.exe'.




Ways to edit the REGISTRY.
There are several ways to access the Registry of your SiteKiosk computer:

1. Safe mode:
The easiest way is to start Windows in “safe mode.”
To do so, press F8 while the system is booting up.

Since the safe mode of SiteKiosk is also password protected, you will be shown a dialog box that prompts you to enter your configuration or general password.
You will then be taken to the Windows logon screen where you can log on as an administrator.
Proceed by clicking Start-->Run.. and entering regedit.exe.


2. Editing the computer’s Windows Registry over the network
To do so, you must connect to the SiteKiosk computer’s Registry from a second computer.

Launch regedit.exe and select the menu item “File” --> “Connect Network Registry.”
In the next dialog box, enter the name of the computer to whose Registry you want to establish a connection.

For more information and hints, please refer to this Microsoft page:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/system-management-components/remotely-edit-the-registry


After completing your changes, sign off from the Registry and shut down your SiteKiosk computer by briefly pressing the OFF button.

3. Using a second Windows system
(installed in parallel or on a boot CD, such as BartPE)

After starting the second Windows system, open the registry editor Regedit as an administrator.
Regedit will show you the Registry of the currently active system. To view the part of the Registry that concerns your system, proceed as follows:
Select the entry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) and click on “Load structure“ under File.
In the next dialog box, look for the file “software“ (without file extension), which is stored under Windows\System32\config on the system in question.
If you are unable to find this file, configure the Explorer under Tools\Folder Options\View such that all files will be displayed.
Proceed by selecting the name under which you want this part of the registry to appear in HKLM in the registry editor. (e.g. SOFTWARE SITEKIOSK)

You will now be able to find and change the entries mentioned above under HKLM\SOFTWARE SITEKIOSK.

Finally, mark the subkey SOFTWARE SITEKIOSK and select “Remove structure” under File.

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